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 First edition of these entertaining, historically informed meditations on the quirks and peculiarities of heraldic issues such as the niceties of the usage of “Lady” before and after marriage, the symbolism and history of wigs, and the nature of academic titles. A whole chapter is dedicated to Quakers, who reject all worldly titles.

Though Nares is quite capable of picking nits with a level of scrupulousness to match that of the most pedantic of scholars, he is also prone to flights of fancy such as pondering—after noting that a married woman’s moveable goods are unquestionably the property of her husband— “whether the female tongue is to be reckoned among the moveables . . . I believe it is pretty generally held to continue ‘in potestate Mulieris,’ even after marriage, and I know nothing to prevent it” (p. 148). This is followed up with references to Ovid, the Wife of Bath, and the much-storied Flitch of Bacon!

 Contemporary half calf with marbled paper sides, spines with gilt-stamped helm decorations and gilt-stamped leather title and volume labels (the volume labels recently supplied, in sympathetic style). Board edges showing light to moderate wear, with leather cracking at joints and crackled over the spines generally. Top edges gilt. Front pastedowns with bookplates now partially torn away; title-page of vol. II with an early inked ownership inscription in the upper margin. Delightful reading, as well as an overall attractive set. (10358)

Nelson, Robert. An address to persons of quality and estate ... To which is added, an appendix of some original and valuable papers. [with another related title, as below]. London: A. & G. Way, prs., 1715. 8vo (21.9 cm, 8.6"). Frontis., xxxi, [1], 267, [1], 55, [7] pp. [with] A poem in memory of Robert Nelson Esquire. London: Pr. by Geo. James for Richard Smith, at Bishop Beveridge’s-Head, 1715. 8vo. 21, [3] pp.$675.00

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 First edition: Nelson, a philanthropist and popular religious writer, reminds the wealthy and well bred of their charitable obligations as Christians. After exhorting the rich to consider their salvation, Nelson solicits their support for such endeavors as building churches, funding the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, maintaining poor clergy and their families, founding seminaries and schools, relieving prisoners, and establishing houses for the improvement of ladies (both proper and fallen). The appendix provides texts of various proposals as well as statistics onnumbers of residents in hospitals and schools.

The frontispiece portrait of Nelson was engraved by George Vertue after a painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller. The volume also includes all publisher's advertisements as well as the rather uncommon Poem in Memory of Robert Nelson Esquire.

This was produced to be a handsome work, printed in large type on good paper with wide margins — the better to appeal to a “quality” audience?

New
York Detective, A. The Bradys
and the girl smuggler, or working for the custom house, and other stories. New
York: Frank Tousey, 1914. Folio. 30, [2 (adv.)] pp.$45.00

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 Technically a nickel weekly but really a classic “detective hero” dime novel, this is no. 804 (19 June 1914) of the long-running serial thriller “Secret Service: Old and Young King Brady, Detectives.” The Bradys were a spin-off from Tousey's popular “New York Detective Library” series; early Old King Brady stories were written by Francis Worcester Doughty, with subsequent tales supplied by various in-house writers. The present issue features thecomplete title story along with chapters VII and VIII of “Drawer 99 or A detective's Six-Year Search” by Percy B. St. John, chapters IX and X of “Ventriloquist Val or The Mystery of the Dark Room” by Tom Fox, thecomplete story “The Witch in the Well,” and an assortment of jokes and odd news clips. (The ads present are their own enhancement.)

 Publisher's color-printed paper wrappers, spine chewed and overall with soiling; back cover with tear from upper edge into text without impairment to reading. Paper age-toned; some text pages ragged at edges, again, without harm to reading. (26935)

 First edition: A lovely (and college-educated!) Virginia girl gets caught up in international political intrigue and derring-do, revolving around a dashing hero with mysterious ties to the Austrian Empire, but a secret passion for the American dream. Written by an Indiana-born politician and diplomat, the tale — a national bestseller in its day — is illustrated with a total ofseven plates by Clarence F. Underwood, a prominent “pretty girl” artist who worked for the Saturday Evening Post and Ladies' World magazine.

The novel wasmade into a film in 1914 by the Famous Players Film Company and released just two months before the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria.

Binding: Publisher's blue cloth, front cover with a woods vignette stamped in orange, brown, green, and white; spine with tree vignette. Signed binding: front panel with initials F.B. between the design and the author's name.

 Binding as above, mild wear to edges and extremities, minor spots of rubbing to front cover, some soiling to back one, and noticeable rubbing to spine motif; front free endpaper with pencilled ownership inscription and annotations. A fun read, of interest for its signed binding, its Underwood illustrations, and its perspective on America's role in global politics of the early 20th century. (35664)

Click the images for enlargements.The coloring here is VERY delicate though at the same time rich 
our photos really do not do them justice.

 Beautiful and scarce. This is signedno. 1 of an edition of 150 on Japan paper (there were also 10 on “papier vélin” re-imposed in 4s) color printed and with watercoloring after the original by Henri Caruchet, the coloring executed under his direction by artists at the atelier of A. Charpentier et Fils. The title-page is printed in red and black, with Soeur Béatrix's face in a central medallion of blue, grey, and white.

This volume for connoisseurs offers two distinct parts: first, the text printed and all the illustrations present as fully colored, delicately washed in shades of pink, blue, purple, grey, white, and earth tones; and second, a set of the illustrations in proofs uncolored and without text. Most of the illustrations in both suites areinitialed by Caruchet.

Jean Emmanuel Charles Nodier (1780–1844) was a French author and librarian, appointed to the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal in 1824. His literary stylemuch influenced the Romantics, including Victor Hugo and Alfred de Musset. This legend, first published in La Revue de Paris (1838), is representative of his fantastical oeuvre. It was later adapted into a French opera (Béatrice, 1914) and a film (1923).

Provenance: An initialed ink inscription beneath the Justification du tirage states this copy was “Offert à Madame Conquet” — who must have been related toM.L. Conquet, “the great Paris publisher of works of the romantic school,” whose publications were famous for being very limited editions and for the “high artistic quality of their illustrations” (“Books and Authors,” The New York Times, 26 March 1898).

 This Victorian “bijou” isno larger than one's thumbnail and yet, as “poetically illustrated” by the larger-than-life Mrs. Norton, it manages to contain portraits and poems apropos of Princess Maria of Hesse Darmstadt, Napoleon, and Sheridan Knowles, as well as a depiction of a fairy and a view of Caernarvon Castle. Letitia Elizabeth Landon, a previous editor of the almanac, has supplied a poetic dedication to Mrs. Norton that accompanies a plate showing her beautifully gowned in thoughtful pose. In addition to all this we find the usual calendar along with microprinted lists of the royal family, sovereigns of Europe, the queen's ministers, ladies of the court, and Prince Albert's household, set forth in minutecalligraphic script.

This is a copy of the sixth English Bijou Almanac. Schloss's series of miniature almanacs, often given asgift books, began with the one for 1836 (published in 1835) and ended with that for 1843: “Schloss engaged Benjamin Reese Davies, a specialist in engraved script . . . to engrave the . . . series. His skill and consistency are apparent in both the text and portraits on steel plates” (Bromer & Edison, p. 95). Once the engraving was accomplished the work was transferred to a lithographic stone for actual printing, i.e., by“transfer lithography” (Bain, p. 8).

Binding: Light pink wrappers, spine gilt extra with gilt-stamped lyre on covers, lilac endpapers with small silver Japanese bookseller's ticket filling back pastedown, all edges gilt. The little volume is housed in a blue-lined and peach slipcase with gilt-stamped lyres on both sides and gilt rolls along the edges.

 First edition: A simply and strikingly designedPerishable Press printing of
these poems, written towards the end of Oppenheimer's life and published posthumously. They
appear here with an afterword by Oppenheimer's widow, Theresa Maier, and woodcut page
decorations byMargaret Sunday.

This is numbered copy 39 of 125 printed and it ishand-dedicated at the colophon to
Andrew Hedden, a notable collector of press books and livres d'artiste.

The pronouncements are here in the original Greek, with Latin translation (including
sidenotes) on the facing page. These are enhanced by Panvinio's study of the Oracles, extensive
elogia (testimonies by the ancient authors Plato, Ovid, Aristoteles . . . ), and Mallery's engravings
of the sibyls, all preceding the actual printing of the prophecies with notes and supplemental
material by Opsopäus.

The volume begins with a most handsome emblematic engraved title-page signed
C. De Mallery involving a ship at sea against a sky labeled “Lutetia”
(for Paris) surmounting an elaborate architectural frame containing the title
and incorporating elegant symbolic ladies and more, followed on the next leaves
by a dedication to the esteemed French collector Jacques-Auguste de Thou (Thuanus,
1553–1617). Beautiful floriated woodcut initials, factotum initials,
head- and tailpieces decorate the text, which is anexquisite
example of printing.

It seems that there were related texts printed at the same time that are sometimes found
bound with this in a variety of combinations, but this not universally.

 Adams S1061; Schweiger, I, 287. Period-style full dark
brown mottled calf tooled in blind, gilt title and tools to spine, red edges.
Small hole from natural flaw in upper corner of title-page and one other leaf;
oval-shaped spot in lower margin of title-page from an erasure (?), offset
onto the front fly-leaf; light age-toning and occasional foxing in some margins,
with a few stray ink marks from printing and maybe two or three dots from
oxidization of the paper. Accounting for these minor expectable flaws, the
present volume isreally very, very nice and the
portraits areterrific.
(30177)

 First enlarged, illustrated edition of this sweet multigenerational romance, originally printed in 1897. The title character is abook collector, and the action takes place in Richmond, Virginia — a setting the author knew well, being descended from not one but two of the most prominent families in that state. The text, expanded by Page for this printing, is illustrated witheight color plates by Howard Chandler Christy (including the title-page's “Old Gentleman” portrait).

Binding: Publisher's blue-gray cloth, front cover with vignette of a tree rooted in a heart, bearing silhouette portraits of a woman and man done in black and gilt on a cream paper inlay; binding signed “MA” — Margaret Armstrong.

 Known for his Avisos históricos, Pellicer — along with other literary lights — here provides encomium, history, and genealogy on the occasion of the baptism of María Teresa of Spain. The author’s name is also sometimes given as Joseph Pellicer y Ossau de Tovar (alternatively Touar/Tobar), with numerous other variants seen. This is a scarce publication: OCLC and RLIN find only one holding, in the U.K.

 Palau 216717. Removed from a nonce volume. Light waterstaining, mostly to inner corners. Trimmed closely, with shouldernotes and first or last few letters shaved in some instances. One leaf with tear from upper margin extending into text, repaired some time ago, obscuring a few words. (17683)

 A popular melodramatic tale of ruin and misery, first published in 1767: A dissipated nobleman convinces a lovely country maiden that they are honestly married, sets her up in luxury, then abandons her in a London brothel. The plot is notable for its elaborate detailing of Miss Davis's exceedingly cruel treatment from not only her lover, but also various officials and citizens — though by the close of the story her innate virtue earns her a happier ending than one would expect. The stipple-engraved plate, depicting the fair victim swooning in the arms of one of the brothel denizens, was done by Rumford after Edwards.

This is an uncommon edition: WorldCat does not find any institutional locations. There is apparently one copy of the same printing at the University of Essex, and the date given here is based on their assessment.

 This edition not in NSTC. Removed from a nonce volume; sewing loosening, with signatures starting to separate. Pages age-toned, with small area of waterstaining to upper outer margins; title-page with small spot of staining; plate mounted (some time ago), with three small spots of staining and some darkening around caption. A very readable copy of a striking and strikingly vivid morality tale. (37200)

 Pfeiffer's Reise nach dem skandinavischen Norden und der Insel Island im Jahre 1845, translated into English by Anne Charlotte Fenimore Cooper (called "Charley"), one of James Fenimore Cooper's daughters. Pfeiffer was a careful and keen observer in addition to being a dauntlessly independent traveller, though possibly overmuch preoccupied with Germanic upper-middle-class standards of housekeeping (she seems to have been shocked anew upon each fresh discovery that peasants live in small, dirty homes and eat unappetizing food). Her experiences as a solo woman traveller, not overly wealthy, make for engrossing reading.

This first American printing followed a London edition of the same year and was part of Putnam's "Library for the People."

Binding:Publisher's brown cloth, covers framed in blind, front cover with gilt-stamped urn of flowers, back cover with same design in blind. All edges gilt.

 Faxon 655. Bound as above, corners bumped/rubbed and base of rear joint and spine a little rubbed; gilt bright. Endpapers with early pencilled inscriptions, frontispiece with adhesion of a sliver of paper from title-page along inner margin, title-page with brown spot in lower margin offset onto lower edge of frontispiece. Sewing loosening with some early and final leaves starting to separate, title-page all but separated. Pages generally clean, with a few scattered spots; one upper margin with pencilled inscription mostly erased. A read and cherished copy, still sweetly sentimental and interesting to look at. (30368)

 Charles Somerset's popular play, starring Charles Kemble as the Bard, with Maria Lacy as Queen Elizabeth — advertised here in only its third performance, following its debut on 29 October. The stage sets and “new scenery,” including Shakespeare's house, the Globe Theatre, and the audience chamber in the palace, are listed and, in a few words each, described.

In addition to the piece about Shakespeare's youth, the company was also acting Romeo and Juliet, withFanny Kemble portraying Juliet in “her 14th appearance on any stage,” and The First of May and The Robber's Wife were additionally on the bill.

 As issued; lightly age-toned and creased, and slightly unevenly trimmed with header shaved. Short tear from margin touching four lines of text, without loss; “Garden” portion of header chipped. Interesting documentation of the 19th-century English theatre world's engagement with Shakespeare, and of the Kemble family's progress. (37055)

A TRIO . . .

“Carry OfftheCry& ClamourofTHIS TROUBLESOME WOMAN”

(Pollock vs. the Thane of Cawdor). Answers for John Campbel of Calder Esq; and Mr. James Anderson writer to the signet his factor: To the petition of Ruth Pollock, who calls herself relict of Captain George Campbel, son to the deceast Sir Hugh Campbel. [Edinburgh], 1717. Folio (30.5 cm, 12"). 4 pp.$850.00

 The battle between Ruth Pollock and the Campbells (or Calders, from their estate of Cawdor) rages on, with the Calder side strenuously denying that any legitimate marriage ever took place between her and Capt. George Campbell. Pollock, who called herself Campbell’s widow despite apparently never having been acknowledged as his wife during his lifetime, was claiming a portion of the estate of his father, Sir Hugh Campbell; in this response to some of her petitions, lawyer John Fleming, acting on behalf of the Campbells, discusses the merits of various claims as pertaining to estate law. OCLC, ESTC, and NUC Pre-1956 record no holdings of this item.

 Not in ESTC. Once sewn, now in a Mylar folder. Last leaf with closed tear partially repaired some time ago, costing or or obscuring a few letters to each line of about two paragraphs on either side of leaf. Age-toned, dust-soiled, creased. (7278)

 Dated July 30 1718, this broadside is a rebuttal of certain financial assertions made by Ruth Pollock in her ongoing legal battle against John Campbell over the estate of Sir Hugh Campbell, which included Cawdor Castle (although that legendary castle is not mentioned in this document). This is an uncommon legal item, with no holdings described by OCLC, RLIN, or ESTC.

 Not in ESTC. Creased and dust-soiled, with a small hole in lower margin not touching text and a few pinholes within text. Tipped onto a leaf of 19th-century paper, now in a Mylar folder. (6830)

 Dated February 5th 1718, this broadside was part of a protracted legal struggle between Ruth Pollock and John Campbell, grandson of Sir Hugh Campbell, thane of Cawdor. Particularly in question here are the marriage articles between Sir Alexander Campbell and Elizabeth Lort, John Campbell’s parents; the definition of impeachment of waste is discussed. No holdings of this uncommon item are listed by ESTC, RLIN, OCLC.

 Creased and slightly dust-soiled but in overall good condition. Tipped onto a leaf of 19th-century paper; now in a Mylar folder. (6866)

A “Collection Discount” will be applied should anyone take
ALL THREE of the “Pollack Case” Broadsides.

 First and second series bound together. Elizabeth Prentiss’ books of children’s stories are each illustrated with one full-page wood engraving and a wood-engraved frontispiece, with many charming wood-engraved in-text vignettes throughout.

This tale ofhappy birthdays in a happy household is printed in large type for beginning readers.

Provenance: On front free endpaper, in large childish pencil, “Jessie L. Brainerd given to 1912" [sic].

Prior, Thomas. An authentic narrative of the success of tar-water, in curing a great number and variety of distempers, with remarks. And occasional papers relative to the subject. To which are subjoyned two letters from the author of Siris. Dublin: Pr. by Marg. Rhames for R. Gunne, 1746. 8vo (20.8 cm, 8.25"). 4, 248, [2 (blank)] pp.$1000.00

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 Uncommon first edition: An impressive collection of testimonial letters describing the curative powers of tar-water in cases of asthma, influenza, scurvy and scorbutic disorders, gout, rheumatism, consumptive coughs, and even smallpox — offering a mass of anecdotal information on general ailments, standard treatments of the time (what the patients took or did before they discovered tar-water), and what was considered an intolerable condition as opposed to simply inconvenient. This volume was compiled by one of the founding members of the Royal Dublin Society and inspired by Bishop Berkeley's 1744 publication Siris, Philosophical Reflexions and Inquiries Concerning the Virtues of Tar-water (which praise of tar-water as a universal panacea enraged doctors throughout Great Britain, resulting in a flurry of published debate); it makes several references to Siris, and concludes with two letters from Berkeley, featuring his instructions on how to make the best tar-water and use it most effectively.

The printer was Margaret Rhames, scion of a prominent Dublin printing family. WorldCat and ESTC locate only four U.S. institutional holdings of this edition, which preceded the London first.

 New edition with additions: This new edition of Adelaide Anne Procter's 1861 collection of poems is the first to feature an introduction by her father's good friend Charles Dickens; the introduction was repeated in subsequent editions. The20 plates are wood engravings by Horace Harrel after W.T.C. Dobson, Samuel Palmer, John Tenniel, William H. Millais, and several others.

Procter was a philanthropist as well as a poet, involved in several charitable and feminist causes, and contributed to Dickens' Household Words under the pen name “Mary Berwick” in hopes that her work would not be judged based on her father's friendship with Dickens. She died shortly before the publication of this new edition of her poems.

 Epistolary musings on roses originally published as Memoirs of the Rose in 1824, here in their second edition. This version containsthree striking hand-colored lithographs of different rose species, including the Cabbage, Common Dog, and Damask.

Binding: Publisher's purple cloth, gilt-stamped title on spine; each cover framed in blind rules, with foliate and drawer-handle motifs surrounding a gilt leaf device at center. All edges gilt.

 Bound as above, almost entirely sunned to brown and with a very little rubbing. Light to moderate age-toning and foxing throughout; lacks frontispiece, other three plates present and brightly colored. Overall a handsomely done collection of letters about roses (and life). (35940)

First U.S. Editions — Dickens&Faux-Dickens

“Quiz” [pseud. of Edward Caswall], & Charles Dickens. Sketches of young ladies: In which these interesting members of the animal kingdom are classified according to their several instincts, habits, and general characteristics. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea, & Blanchard, 1838. 16mo (13.5 cm, 5.3"). 111, [1] pp. [with] Dickens, Charles. Sketches of young gentlemen. Dedicated to young ladies. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea, & Blanchard, 1838. 108, [2] pp.$800.00

Click the images for enlargements.

 First American editions of these two works, together as issued, in the original publisher's cloth. Young ladies and young gentlemen are humorously categorized under their various types: including for the former Romantic, Evangelical, Literary, Manly, Hyperbolical, Abstemious, and others, and for the latter Bashful, Military, Political, Censorious, Funny, etc. While the first work was often attributed to Dickens when originally published anonymously in 1837, it was actually written by humorist Caswall in a voice very much like Dickens's; the second work, first printed in 1838, isgenuine Dickens.

 American Imprints 49619. Publisher's violet cloth; front cover and spine faded to tan, the former with a printed paper label somewhat chipped, and front cover showing tiny spots of discoloration and pinholes in cloth. Pages age-toned with intermittent mild spotting; a few lower outer corners bumped and middle section with dent to upper outer margin. A copy much read; still both highly readable andhighly entertaining. (34870)